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Enhance Support for Persons Living with Dementia

On-going

Way Forward Commitment:

Dementia is a condition that significantly affects a person’s memory, cognition and behaviour, and limits a person’s ability to complete essential activities of daily living. As the disease progresses, it can be very challenging for caregivers to cope. Our government will implement a Dementia Care Action Plan that improves access to information, as well as to supports and services that aim to improve the quality of life for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.

Our government will improve client care by enhancing access to community-based dementia care and support, thereby reducing emergency department visits, hospitalizations and premature long-term care placement. To do this, we will enhance the capacity of the 811 HealthLine to provide professional advice and system navigation services by September 2018, and increase access to specialized adult day programs by March 2019. We will also support 100 individuals living with moderate or late-stage dementia to receive care and support at home from a physician or nurse practitioner through remote client-monitoring technology.

What We’ve Accomplished:

  • Representatives from Newfoundland and Labrador participated in a two-day stakeholder meeting to inform a national dementia strategy. The report prepared by the Public Health Agency of Canada on outcomes of the session will be used to guide consultations in the province and to validate local context. The Department of Health and Community Services (HCS) is collaborating with the Alzheimer’s Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Public Engagement Division to host public consultations regarding the Dementia Care Action Plan. Public consultations will be held fall 2019, and the plan released later in the year.
  • Enhancing access to community-based care for people living with dementia is being achieved through the Home First Initiative, which has been implemented with the Regional Health Authorities since December 2017.
  • HCS is working with the Alzheimer’s Society of Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure that staff are appropriately trained in dementia care and system navigation. In addition, dementia care resources will continue to be added to the Healthline website.
  • A committee has been established with Regional Health Authorities and community stakeholders to inform the development of an adult day program to support individuals living with dementia and their families.
  • Ministerial approval has been received to commence the Home Dementia Project. Recruitment for Nurse Practitioners is underway, and recruitment of clients in the Eastern Health region will being in February 2019. Federal funding has been secured from the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Funding Agreement. The program has been established and over 50 clients have enrolled in the program to date.